The auctioneer started the bidding at $2,500, but there were no takers for the Grand Champion Baked Item at the Carroll County 4-H & FFA Fair — an orange buttercream spice cake.

Bids began at $1,000 and within minutes three different companies were in an all-out bidding war for the cake, prepared by 13-year-old Grant Laney, of the Sam's Creek 4-H Club.

The price kept going up. Higher and higher. The winning bid of $3,400 went to the baker's father, Mike Laney, owner of M.T. Laney Company Inc., an infrastructure construction company in Eldersburg.

"I didn't think it would go for that much," Mike Laney said after he won the cake. "It was exciting. [The money] is going to a good cause."

Many of the cakes from the auction are donated back to the kids to re-sell at the fair, but Mike Laney said he was taking his winning cake back to the office for his employees to devour.

More than 380 homemade baked goods, including cakes, breads, pies and cookies, were entered into the 4-H Cake Auction this year, said organizer Amy Petkovsek.

Kids 8 to 18 are allowed to enter their goods into the auction to be judged by a team of food experts, Petkovsek said.

"They are judged based on consistency, flavor, if they are baked through and if they are light and fluffy," Petkovsek said. "Judges take a slice out of each cake. Only the cakes deemed blue ribbons go into the auction."

Blue ribbon baked items are typically auctioned off from $1 to $160, said Petkovsek, except for the grand champion, which she said goes for about $1,500.

The 4-H Cake Auction raises about $30,000 to $40,000 for 4-H, she said.

Grant's cake, however, was more than double the typical amount for a grand champion.

Grant is no newbie to the 4-H Cake Auction. His homemade recipes have won Grand Champion Baked Item three times out of the past four years — and won grand decorated and reserve grand decorated.

"I knew I wanted to do a spice cake this year," said Grant, who spent 20 hours on his baked goods.

Grant said he is a perfectionist when it comes to baking. During the winter, he said he spends a lot of time in the kitchen trying out new recipes for the 4-H Cake Auction.

"I look for a good shape, smoothness, flavor and texture," said Grant, who didn't get to taste his grand champion cake this year. "I just had a few crumbs left that I threw in my mouth."

The grand champion title came as a surprise to Grant this year though. He said his baking had been a little off this year, as he spent a portion of his time worried about a sick cousin.

"I just love doing it," Grant said. "I am very grateful."

Grant's cake was almost won by a group of farmers and business owners from New Windsor, The New Windsor Area Farm and Business Syndicate.

Trevor Hoff, a member of the syndicate, said the group had pulled together $3,300 to bid on the grand champion cake this year.

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